


Mother Knows Best

by WhiteLittleDevil



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, F/M, Male Evil Queen | Regina Mills
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-04-07 10:04:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19082806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhiteLittleDevil/pseuds/WhiteLittleDevil
Summary: Cora wants power. Rumplestiltskin wants her firstborn to cast his curse. Simple as that. When Cora finds out she's with child, she does all she can to make sure she's going to have a son, as a son would give her what she desires. She's going to put a crown on his head and become the power behind the throne. But the problem is: the Dark One remembers about the deal.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! I have no idea how it happened that I decided to write such a story (it's going to be a short one) but I think I got inspired by listening to Beyonce's "If I Were a Boy" song. Hope you enjoy!

Cora was not a fool.

She was aware that her newly married husband was good for nothing. A complete waste of space, if she had to be honest with herself. The only good thing about him was the fact that he was of royal blood, and quite handsome in his own right. This aspect of the man, thought Cora as she gently put her hand on her still flat stomach, could be beneficial for their future children, since they were both fortunate enough to be lucky in the beauty department. Unfortunately, these two factors were her husband’s only redeeming qualities. Other than that, Henry was worthless.

Fifth in line to the throne!

She had always been an ambitious person and would do _anything_ she could – consequences be damned – to escape her cruel fate of being born to an alcoholic miller. To a filthy peasant! Just thinking about her pitiful, impoverished upbringing was making her blood boil. She was so much more and she deserved to be admired by everyone. She deserved to be appreciated. And appreciated she would be. She would make people kneel before her. She would make them kiss her feet. She was about to get what she deserved and her husband was going to help her achieve her goals, one way or another. His consent be damned. He was merely a tool in her hands. She was going to use him and then dispose of him like the useless piece of garbage he really was.

She didn’t love Henry. Not at all. She married him only because he was her salvation. Her escape plan. Their marriage opened a door for her that had previously been slammed shut. She was – finally! – allowed to enter the world of nobility. The world that should’ve been hers from the very beginning. She could already taste what it meant to be powerful, and if there was one thing everyone would say about her, it would be that once she had her mind set on something, nothing and no one could stand in her way. They gave her their little fingers. Now she wouldn’t stop until she devoured their whole arm!

A grimace made an appearance on her pretty face.

She would’ve been there much sooner, if only she hadn’t been tricked by the lying gardener. He made her believe that he was a prince. He made her believe that he could change her fate, while in fact all he wanted was to use her. He wanted to be allowed to taste her body. He wanted to claim her. To possess her. To deflower her.

Yes, she should’ve said no. She should. He didn’t take her by force. He was welcomed in her room. She had _invited_ him to her bed. She should’ve waited for a true proposal instead of trusting him that he would return to make her his wife, his beloved queen. She really should. But she didn’t. She would rather picture herself as a victim of this relationship – one night stand of dubious pleasure would be a better way to summarise what was between them, Cora used to think – otherwise she would have to acknowledge that she had only herself to blame for what had happened to her.

Pregnancy.

Jonathan had impregnated her that awful night and, even though she knew from the start that he had to leave her the following day, he never returned despite the fact that he had sworn it on his mother’s grave. He promise to make her his wife, his queen, his everything. He promised that when he was whispering her name into her ear. She foolishly believed him and paid a high price for that.

But then her path crossed with Leopold’s. _Prince_ Leopold’s. A real member of the royal family. This time she was wise enough to check it before she allowed him to get close to her. Oh, how much she loved the way in which he used to look at her! He made her feel as if she was the only woman in the universe. She loved his touch, his gentle kisses… and she definitely loved the beautiful engagement ring he had put on her finger. But that, of course, was taken – _stolen_ – from her. Leopold found out that she was with child and it wasn’t his. His ex-fiancée overheard her not so private conversation with Jonathan – who, ironically, happened to be the gardener of the royal family she was about to marry into – and revealed her shameful secret.

She had never, in her entire life, wanted to hurt anyone as much as she wanted to hurt this little brat commonly known as _Princess_ Eva of the Northern Kingdom. She wanted her to suffer and suffer Eva would be. She was going to ruin her life – preferably her reputation of a kind and loving person as well – and she didn’t care how long that was going to take. The annoying brat dared to ruin her dreams and for that she must be severely punished.

Cora sighed heavily and added another ingredient to a potion she was brewing.

She had always suspected that she had magical powers but she wasn’t certain until she met Rumplestiltskin. The Dark One approached her when she was closed in a tower because her foolish mouth announced that she was able to turn straw into gold when King Xavier, her then future father-in-law, humiliated her in front of everyone. _Princess_ Eva, the guest of honour, included. She wanted to kill them all. Yes. Her worthless father _was_ a miller but it didn’t mean that _she_ was as bad as him. No. She was better. She was superior. Others should be on their knees before her, not the other way around. Besides, the King had no right to judge her because he was the one who was basically selling his youngest child off because the kingdom was on the verge of bankruptcy! What a hypocrite!

But the damage was done. She cheekily claimed that she was able to turn straw into gold, and the King ordered to close her in the tower where she was supposed to spend the night. He expected her to demonstrate her skills in the morning and if she succeeded – the Prince would marry her. Her failure, on the other hand, was equal with death. Rumplestiltskin came to her unexpectedly and offered her a deal she couldn’t decline: he would teach her how to, for real, turn straw into gold and in exchange she would give him her firstborn child.

She almost laughed.

Almost.

The Dark One could see the future. Well, the glimpse of the future, really. He informed her that her firstborn child, her _daughter_ , would be essential to his plans. But he meant the child she was going to have, not the one she had already given birth to. He had no clue that she had already had her firstborn child, a daughter. If Cora wasn’t in such a precarious situation, with her life on the line, she would have laughed in the man’s face for arriving too late. She had abandoned in the woods the brat she spawned the minute it was born. She wanted power and to have people at her feet. A bastard would only make everything harder.

She signed the contract without betting an eye, much to the wizard’s delight. She paid him no mind, however, as she cared for only three things: her survival, her revenge on Eva, and, of course, gaining power. Rumplestiltskin’s deal was perfect because it would give her what she needed and wanted, but at the same time she didn’t have to pay any price. She had no idea what had happened with her daughter and, frankly, she wouldn’t lose sleep over her fate. As far as she was concerned, the bastard could be dead.

Something had happened that night. Something magical.

The Dark One not only taught her how to turn straw into gold but he also showed her what does it mean to be appreciated. What does it mean to be a woman. It started with a kiss. A simple, slow kiss. Then he gently placed his hand on the small of her back and slid it further down, caressing her feminine figure, and before either of them could realise what was going on – they found themselves in a queen-sized bed that the man conjured up just seconds before, making love to each other.

What a great lover he was!

He most certainly knew how to please a woman. He mentioned something between kisses that the only person he had ever slept with was his wife – who dumped him for someone named Captain Hook, and as he informed her, he killed her when she refused to return home to their son – and Cora just couldn’t comprehend _how_ she could do something like that. Rumplestiltskin definitely knew what a woman needed in bed and, heavens, he was not ashamed to give her exactly what she desired. If she had to describe their shared night in one word, that would be _magnificent_. How his wife could leave him for some stinky pirate was beyond her. She was sure that he wasn’t as good in bed as the Dark One. She seriously doubted that anyone could be. He was the best lover she had ever had, and she already bedded a future king and a lying gardener. Neither of them knew how to please her the way the sorcerer did.

Cora shook her head and stirred up the potion.

Rumplestiltskin indeed was a brilliant lover, and maybe something more, but he already belonged to the past. She chose power over him and his love – and power was _not_ a foul-smelling pirate, power was much more important, so she was justified – and decided to marry Henry instead of eloping with the Dark One.

Maybe if she still had a heart in her chest – and boy, life without having that disgusting, beating thing inside her was so much better and easier – she would feel sorry for abandoning the wizard and stripping him of all hope. But then again, she disposed of her firstborn like the piece of rubbish that she was while that awful organ was still a part of her body, so she highly doubted that. The only thing she regretted, or rather missed, was sex.

Her pathetic excuse of a husband paled in comparison to Rumplestiltskin, but, astonishingly, he still was a better lover than Jonathan and Leopold combined. The wizard was confident and it was obvious that he knew what he was doing. He wasn't afraid to spice things up between them when she asked him to. He was aware that she wasn’t made of glass and wasn’t going to break the moment he touched her too hard. Henry was, on the other hand, hesitant and unsure. It was blatantly obvious that she was his first. That made her feel oddly satisfied because as far as she knew, men used to get attached to women who were their firsts, and that would help her manipulate him more smoothly.

A cruel smirk graced Cora’s lips when she noticed with immense satisfaction that the potion was finally ready.

She was an ambitious person and she knew very well what she wanted to achieve in her life. She wanted to be admired and respected. She wanted to rule, as she knew ruling was in her blood. She wanted to have people at her feet, and the potion would help her accomplish her ultimate goal.

Henry was fifth in line to the throne. She would have to murder quite a few people in order to wear a crown on her head. And murder… well, she wasn’t against the idea of ending a life or two – or a dozen, if needed – but she would rather have her hands clean. For now. No… at this moment murder was out of the question, but she still saw it as an option. She would never cross such a solution from her list.

She simply needed to find a different, more indirect, approach to get what she wanted and, surprisingly, her pathetic husband did something right and already provided her with one. Not that he was aware about it, obviously.

She was pregnant with a royal child.

She was going to give birth to a young prince or a princess. Her child was going to have a claim to the throne by the right of its blood… at least once she had eliminated those in line to the throne before her unborn descendant.

She poured the potion into a goblet and drank it without hesitation.

She found out about her pregnancy barely a few hours ago but she already had everything planned in her head. She already saw her child with a crown on his head. Obviously, it was impossible for a doctor to tell her yet if she was going to have a baby girl or a baby boy, but her name was Cora and she had everything planned in the smallest detail. She learned from her mistakes and made sure that even her back-up plan had at least three different back-ups.

She was going to have a son.

She was going to be the mother of a future king.

She was the Mistress of Manipulation, the Empress of Evil. According to her drunkard of a father, she was scheming even before she could talk properly. For that reason, even before she found out that she was, again, with child, she considered all of the possibilities available at her disposal. Rumplestiltskin claimed that her firstborn child was going to be a girl. He was correct in his assumption, naturally, because her firstborn, her bastard, was indeed a female. But Cora was a clever, cunning woman. Her short – yet wonderful – time with the Dark One gave her an opportunity to learn a thing or two about his powers. He was able to see the future, but if he didn’t have all details about a person he was making deals with, he had to base his claims on his premonition. He had no knowledge about her bastard child, so he assumed that her future child was going to be her firstborn.

A girl.

Cora shuddered. When Rumplestiltskin informed her that she was going to have another girl, she was… quite content. She already started plotting how to replace Eva with her future daughter, so her unborn baby could take her place as a queen. She had no doubt that Leopold’s father would breathe his last breath soon, and his kingdom would have a new ruling couple. Nonetheless, she then realised something much more important: that was _not_ enough for her.

Being the mother of a queen would be a waste of time. She realised that even if she succeeded and her daughter married the king, she would be only the king’s _wife_. Leopold would be the one with the real power, then his heirs – starting with the ones he was going to have with Eva. Women didn’t have much political power on their own, only if they were direct heirs. Unfortunately, her child wouldn’t be.

Boys, on the other hand, were a completely different matter. Sons were craved. Sons were needed to carry on the family’s name and legacy. Sons were _respected_ and _appreciated_. Sons were destined to replace their fathers once they passed away.

Cora exhaled sharply and put the goblet down on the table.

A son was what she needed to achieve her goals, and a son she would have. She just made sure of that. The potion she drank would make sure that her child was going to be a boy: her future little king.

A vicious smirk made an appearance on Cora’s red lips as she put her hands on her still flat stomach and began to rub it gently, almost affectionately.

The roles in the Enchanted Forest were quite obvious: daughters belonged to mothers, while sons belonged to fathers. A woman was supposed to look pretty and be a good wife. Mothers were teaching their daughters just that. Fathers, on the other hand, were expected to teach their sons how to be good men and leaders. They were supposed to be a good example for their sons’ to follow.

Cora cleaned up the place with a wave of her hand while the other was still rubbing her stomach.

While sons indeed belonged to their fathers, mothers usually had a special place in their hearts. But she was about to change the rules. The child belonged to her. Henry was a weak man, which meant that she was going to influence her son from the very beginning. She was going to mould him into the man she wanted him to be. She was going to become the only role-model he needed. She was going to make him the greatest king the world had ever seen.

And once the crown was resting on his head, she was going to rule the kingdom. Because her son would be sitting on the throne but she would be the power behind it.

Her child would do what she wanted. Because he belonged to her. Not to Rumplestiltskin – she already had a child so he was free to find the bastard, she couldn’t care less – and definitely not to Henry. He was hers. She owned him. She made him. She was his mother.

And mother knows best.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you for your lovely responses. Hope you're going to enjoy the chapter.

“May I have this dance, Mother?”

Hearing the quiet question, Cora slowly turned her head and a gentle smile graced her mouth the moment her gaze landed on the person who approached her at the table – her dearest son.

He was handsome but still boyish, as he did not yet have the strong features of a man. His shoulders, albeit used to holding his well-worn sword, were still not as chiselled as those of a fully-grown man. Nonetheless, it was his smooth complexion, without any facial hair, that betrayed his young age. He was barely sixteen-years-old.

“Of course, my love,” she answered back just as quietly, and accepted his hand when he bowed and offered it to her. “Dancing with you would be my pleasure.”

Cora allowed the boy to lead her. In his day to day life, such a situation would be unacceptable, as she was the one in charge in their family and she was the one to lead him in life. But she knew her son better than anyone – at the end of the day she was the one who moulded him – and was aware that he needed opportunities where he could simply show off. He wanted everyone to know what an amazing son he was and wanted other parents to be jealous of her for giving birth to and raising such a wonderful gentleman. He wanted everyone to know what a great mother she was, and he really knew how to do that.

A few moments later they found themselves on the dancefloor, alongside the other couples made up of parents and children, as the upcoming dance was dedicated to the older generation. She looked at her little prince. He flashed her a charming smile before he assumed the appropriate position, straightening himself up proudly in the process.

The music started playing, and with it the dancing began. Even though the woman didn’t like giving up control, she had to admit that her son was a perfect dance partner. Not that she was surprised, obviously. She had him master how to dance even before he could properly walk. She wanted him to be prepared for royal balls, such as this one.

Especially when it was in his honour.

His _and_ Princess Abigail’s, the only child and sole heir of King Midas, to be exact. The royal ball was in honour of their engagement and, according to customs, it took place at the soon-to-be-bride’s palace. The wedding reception, on the other hand, would take place at the soon-to-be-groom’s place of residence because usually the newly-married couple would choose his home to start their family there.

When the dance came to the end, the young prince escorted her back to the table, kissing her hand gently, before he excused himself from her company in order to ask his future bride for a dance.

“You did a wonderful job with him.”

She heard a somewhat familiar voice and when she turned her head, she saw as King Midas unexpectedly took a seat next to her. Despite herself, she was quite surprised as she didn’t expect him to take a seat that was occupied by her boy during meals, but a proud smile on the man’s face indicated that he wanted to talk with her, and that he actually meant what he said.

“Thank you,” she answered politely and a moment later her goblet was filled with red wine, as the King summoned one of his servants to take care of it. As she noticed, he already had his cup in his healthy hand, so she picked up her own. “I have to say that I was lucky in the child department. Reginald was... easy to shape into the person we see today.”

What she omitted to share was the fact that her son used to be in a great deal of pain every single time he failed to meet her expectations. Luckily for him, he had learned quite quickly that she was his mother and she knew best, she knew what was good for him, and that disobedience wouldn’t be tolerated. His life was hers and he – albeit grudgingly at first – had finally come to terms with that. Ever since he had accepted that, his life was much easier.

“You should be really proud. Especially since your husband passed away when your boy was nothing but a toddler and he didn’t have his father around.” He raised his goblet and tapped his glass against hers in appreciation. “I mean it because if I were blessed with a son, I’d want him to be just like yours. I’m forever grateful that he’s going to be part of my dear daughter’s life.”

“Yes… Henry’s death was so sudden and unexpected. Reginald barely remembers him,” she agreed with him and took a sip of her delicious wine. “Fortunately, he grew up fine despite that.”

While Prince Henry’s death was indeed sudden, it was _not_ unexpected. Not for Cora, anyway. She stayed true to her promise – she got rid of her worthless husband as soon as he stopped being useful to her which, unfortunately for him, happened much sooner than even she expected. He gave her the title, he gave her some power and most importantly – he gave her a son. Her heir and the future king. She didn’t need him anymore. He was a weak man and she would rather not have _her_ son having him as his role model. Of course, she wanted Reginald to be dependent on her _but_ she needed him to be confident and strong at the same time. She was the only one who was allowed to manipulate him freely. Others didn’t stand a chance.

“He grew up to be a fine prince, you’re right.” The man nodded and took a sip from his cup before he looked towards their children.

Cora followed his gaze and smirked inwardly because her proud – cocky even – son said something to his fiancée and the poor princess had a hard time trying to contain her amusement. Her boy gently pulled her closer and kissed the back of her head when his future wife rested it on his shoulder.

“They really are a perfect match.” She once again looked at Midas when she heard him. His attention was still focused on the dancing couple. “Reginald’s going to be a fine king one day. I’m truly happy that he’s going to be at Abigail’s side.”

The woman hummed in response and returned her gaze to watch her dancing son. Midas was correct. Reginald would be a great king because she spent his whole life preparing him to be one. However, what her interlocutor didn’t know was the fact that she planned to put the crown on his son’s head sooner rather than later. She was going to make sure that Midas met his ultimate end before the couple could celebrate their first wedding anniversary.

 

***

 

Reginald had enough. He considered himself to be a brave and courageous young man as not many things – or so he believed – could scare him off, but even he had his limits. His wedding with Princess Abigail would take place in two days and while he was quite content with that because he had always enjoyed her company and thought of her with nothing but respect and admiration – and most importantly, because his mother chose her to be his wife and the last thing he wanted was to disappoint her – he longed for peace. His family manor, in the last couple of weeks, was bustling with life and he was simply exhausted. He needed to get away from that, at least for a few minutes, or he would go mad.

He could think of only one place that could give him what he needed at that particular moment: his family gardens. If he had to be completely honest with himself, he had no clue why he enjoyed spending his free time among trees, but they always seemed to soothe his tired soul. Trees and horses, as horse riding was another of his many passions. He adored the freedom riding a horse could bring him. He enjoyed the wind in his hair and the company of his beloved and faithful stallion named Rocinante.

Rocinante was a present from his mother for his fifth birthday and he loved him dearly. It was a tradition in royal families that every child of royal blood would receive their first horse at that age. Horse riding was a skill that every member of the royal family should master, especially boys as they were not only taught how to ride but also how to fight while on a horse.

Reginald sighed and was about to pick up one of the many apples from his beloved, beautiful apple tree, which was planted in the middle of the garden, when he suddenly heard a noise. Not expecting anyone to be there with him, he involuntarily drew his sword from the sheath that he had tied to his belt. He was ready to defend his home if there was a need to do that.

“Put that toy down, you crazy maniac. It’s only me!”

Hearing a familiar, girlish voice that shouldn’t be present there at that moment in time, Reginald raised his eyebrow but returned his sword to its sheath as he knew that he wouldn’t be force to use it. However, he crossed his arms on his chest when a moment later, a thirteen-year-old, black-haired girl emerged from the shadows. Her sheepish smile told him everything he needed to know: she didn’t expect to meet him there, or anyone else for that matter, which meant that she wasn’t supposed to be outside of the manor.

“Just what you think you’re doing here, young lady?” he asked her calmly, his eyebrow still raised as if he dared her to lie to him.

“Are you being serious right now? Young lady?” His interlocutor scoffed when she heard how he had referred to her, muttering something offensive under her breath but he decided to ignore that. Then she mimicked his pose by crossing her arms as well. “You’re only three years older than me, so what gives you the right to call me _young_ lady?”

“It shouldn’t really matter right now,” he answered quietly, “because that wasn’t the answer for the question I asked you. So, let me try again, and this time you better answer that: what are you doing here after dusk? What’s more, where’s your hood?”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, not you, too!” The girl groaned and leaned against one of the trees, kicking a fallen apple away. The boy opened his mouth, to reprimand her severely for not having respect for his beloved apples, but he decided otherwise. He was aware _why_ she was in a sour mood and he would let her go… this time. “I hate that stupid thing! I have no idea why Granny makes me wear it! Since she clearly loves the hood, she should be the one to wear it!”

“Don’t be disrespectful towards your grandmother,” he responded immediately, somewhat stricter than he intended as his interlocutor winced and quickly muttered her apologies. He sighed heavily, massaging his neck, and approached his friend, gently grabbing her chin so his chocolate-brown eyes could meet her glowing green ones. “I apologise for my tone, Ruby. I didn’t mean it to sound like that. I’m just concerned. You and I both know your grandmother’s rules. You cannot leave the house unsupervised after dusk during full moon, especially without your red cloak.”

The girl turned her head as soon as he released her chin. She was unable to look at him as she knew her friend was right.

“Is it bad that I want it to be the way it was before?” The young prince was lucky that he stood right next to her, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to hear what she just said. “Before my thirteenth birthday, I mean. Back then everything was different. Normal. But then Granny went crazy. She gave me that stupid hood because a bunch of wolves was spotted in the neighbourhood and the red colour apparently distracts them. So what! She doesn’t wear red, so why should I? Also, she acts as if the wolves were after me. She’s completely mental!”

Reginald said nothing, as he knew that what he wanted to say would devastate his younger friend – she was incorrect in her assumptions. Instead, he embraced her tightly and kissed the back of her head.

He had known Ruby ever since he could remember. Her grandmother, Widow Lucas, was not only his family’s head cook but also his mother’s older sister. He wasn’t quite sure what kind of relationship his mother and his aunt had, as they used to argue quite often when they thought that neither he nor Ruby could hear them, but neither of them died in the process, so it couldn’t be bad. However, the Lucas duo wasn’t living with them since the very beginning. They moved in when he was three years old because his father was already dead and Ruby was a few months old. He was curious to know where his cousin, Ruby’s mother, was, but he was told that she was dead and that’s why the girl was under her grandmother’s care. He believed it to be true… until he found out the real reason why his aunt was raising her granddaughter.

Ruby was a werewolf.

It happened during the first full moon once Ruby turned thirteen two months ago. They were in the gardens, just like now, when suddenly instead of a young girl he was talking to a young, fortunately for him, harmless and very confused wolf. He thought that he would have a heart attack because it wasn’t something he expected in his wildest dreams. His baby cousin was a freaking werewolf and he had no idea!

It turned out that his aunt and mother had no idea about it, either. Ruby’s mother, Anita, _was_ a werewolf as well but since the girl was growing up without any transformations, it was assumed that she wouldn’t be one. But then the unexpected happened. Widow Lucas was terrified. Her daughter was the leader of a group of werewolves – _the_ group that was spotted in the neighbourhood not so long ago – and she was quite bloodthirsty. She despised “regular” humans and considered them to be unworthy. She basically gave up her only child when her daughter didn’t turn into a werewolf when she was still under her care but somehow found out that Ruby was a wolf after all and was desperate to take her back.

His mother – heaven’s bless that woman – and his aunt came up with a plan. There was a wizard that was specialised in shapeshifters and who could help them with that particular dilemma because even though his mother was gifted in the magical arts, even she thought that this kind of magic needed a specialist. He was sent to his house to buy an enchanted hood, and good heavens, he was as proud as a peacock when he was given such a momentous responsibility: the task of preventing Ruby from transforming and keeping her cloak on. His aunt didn’t want her granddaughter to know about the burden because she knew how it destroyed her child, and also didn’t want Anita to use the innocent girl. Unfortunately for them, Ruby truly hated the cloak and wore it only when she was forced to.

“Will you put it on if I promise you that I’ll take you to see Peter tomorrow?” he asked her a few moments later, when he realised that the girl would change soon.

A bright smile immediately made an appearance on the teenager’s face. Peter was her best friend and, as far as Reginald was concerned, his cousin’s first serious crush.

“Promise?”

“I promise,” he answered with a smile and gently flicked her nose. “But are you aware that you still didn’t answer my question? Why are you out of the manor?”

Ruby groaned loudly and smacked his arm which made him chuckle.

“You’re not the only one who’s tired because of all those people in the house!” she said and looked at him with judgement. “I mean, seriously! You’re the one who's going to get married and I’m the one who has to suffer! My poor ears are killing me. They’re too sensitive for that noise!”

Reginald laughed at that and ruffled his friend’s hair. He was aware that Ruby had much better hearing than other people but in this particular case she was exaggerating. The noise wasn’t that bad. The amount of people was.

“Oh, you poor, unfortunate soul,” he said as he contained his amusement. “But now come. It wouldn’t be wise to be in trouble with your grandmother for not wearing the hood.”

The girl only rolled her eyes at his words but obediently went with him back to the manor. On their way back home, Reginald frowned because he had a feeling that someone was watching him. He gently turned his head, not wanting to alert his companion, in the direction from which he thought he was observed and licked his dry lips when he noticed a pair of amber eyes watching carefully his every movement.


	3. Chapter 3

It was late in the night when Cora was finally on her way back to her bedchambers. She was exhausted and the only thing she wanted to do was to go to sleep. Her son’s wedding was to take place the following day and she wanted to make sure that everything was immaculate. She spent most of the day ensuring that the servants performed their duties to the best of their abilities, and if they slacked in their work she would see to it that they were suitably punished for that after the wedding. Her son was their future king and he – or rather, she, as his mother – deserved to have a wonderful wedding. Such a wonderful one that other monarchs would envy him.

The only room she didn’t visit during her inspection was the kitchen. Her sister was in charge of that place since she was the head cook. Cora was a person who always had to control everything but she was aware that the older woman could be trusted with this particular task: Cecilia truly knew how to cook and every dish leaving the kitchen under her supervision had to be more than perfect.

As the woman approached her room, she noticed a shadow of a person standing gracefully before the door. Even though she was too far to see the face of her visitor, she was aware that the unexpected guest was her son. She would always recognise his posture as he looked as if he had swallowed a broomstick. Slouching was not acceptable under her roof.

“Good evening, Mother.” Reginald greeted her with a respectful bow as soon as she closed the distance between them. “I know you must be exhausted, but I wondered if maybe I could ask for a minute of your time?”

“Of course, my love,” she answered quietly and opened the door, inviting him inside, before she went to sit down in her favourite armchair. She locked the door with a wave of her hand the moment her son closed it behind them, and gestured for him to approach her. He still stood next to the entrance – just like he was taught to be. “What can I do for you, my dear?”

The teenager knelt before her and put his hands on her knees. A sign of total submission. Cora smirked inwardly when he did that and put her hand at the top of his. She had trained her son well. He was like an obedient dog who was kept on a short leash – which was quite ironic taking into consideration that Ruby was the one among the two of them who was turning herself into a wild, dangerous beast.

“I wanted to ask you about the wedding night, Mother,” the Prince began softly, taking a deep breath. As the woman noticed, his pale cheeks gained some pink colour. “I know what I’m supposed to do as Uncle Richard explained that to me in quite… vivid detail but I would like to know _how_ I am supposed to do it. Uncle’s way of explaining that… experience lacked some basic… information? I don’t even know how to explain it to you, Mother, but something was not all right.”

Cora squeezed her son’s hand in reassurance, at the same time rolling her eyes inwardly at her eldest brother-in-law. She was aware that her son had to be taught about sex-related things and duties sooner or later, but she also knew that he would be utterly embarrassed if she was the one to have such a conversation with him. No matter how controlling and demanding she was, she knew that Reginald had to have this talk with a man. She advised him to go and speak to one of his uncles, and it seemed that her boy decided that the eldest one would be the best choice. She probably should have warned him to choose anyone but his uncle Richard, as the man slept with hundreds of women – princesses, peasants, prostitutes… basically everyone with two legs of the female gender. (Un)fortunately Reginald had no idea about it as she strictly forbade everyone to talk about it in her son’s presence. She didn’t want him to know about it as she needed him to become the man he wanted him to be.

“You have to be gentle, Reginald,” she started and stroked his cheek. “For a woman, her first time can be quite painful, so you must keep in mind to be as delicate as you can be. You must be sure that she’s comfortable enough during your time… together. Don’t rush anything. Don’t seek your pleasure but make sure that your wife is satisfied. And the most important thing: if Abigail says stop at _any_ point during your wedding night, or any other time you’re going to spend together, you’re out immediately. Understood?”

Cora watched passively as a frown made a presence on her son’s forehead. She could basically hear his loud thoughts and the comment that he was about to make even before he had a chance to say it aloud. For that reason she wasn’t surprised when a moment later her confused son asked her a question that would change his entire way of thinking.

“Uncle Richard said that a man takes what is his whenever he wants to and that it’s a wife’s duty to… please her husband whenever he wants to be satisfied.” Reginald raised his head slightly and licked his dry lips. “He said that a wife cannot say no because… she’s a wife.”

Cora sighed heavily in order to make her words sound more effective and then grabbed her boy’s chin and made him look her in the eyes.

“Wife or not wife – when a woman says ‘no’ then it means ‘no’ and you leave her alone,” she started, a note of severity was heard in her voice. “We already had a conversation about people’s consent, Reginald, so I hope I don’t have to remind you that?”

“Of course not, Mother, I remember that very clearly,” he responded immediately, his cheeks red from embarrassment, and she had to admit that he looked properly reprimanded. When she took him aside years ago to teach him how he should treat women, she wasn’t lenient with him. She believed that a… vivid presentation would be remembered better than simple words. Even though her son didn’t do anything bad prior to their talk, she preferred to take matters into her own hands rather than be sorry later. “That’s why I came to you. I know what you said but Uncle Richard… he made it sound as if it was something normal. Not to care about your wife’s feelings, I mean.”

“I really should’ve warned you not to choose him for this kind of conversation because your uncle is mistaken,” she started with a sigh and once again stroked the teenager’s cheek. “Can you please tell me why?”

She watched with inward amusement as the realisation finally hit her son. She had no idea what he was thinking when he decided to talk with Richard but it was obvious that he had forgotten then everything she taught him.

“Because he has illegitimate children.” The answer was so quiet that Cora almost missed that.

“Yes. Your uncle has illegitimate children,” she agreed but what she omitted to say was the fact that each child was with a different woman. Reginald didn’t know about his uncle’s numerous affairs and he was convinced that Richard had his children with his Mistress. “Now, tell me, my love, why is that wrong?”

“Having children out of wedlock is wrong because it shows people that you’re unfaithful.” Came up an answer. “And if you cannot be faithful to your spouse, to whom you swore your loyalty and faithfulness, then people can assume that you’re not going to be a good leader since your word means nothing to you.”

Adultery was quite a common practice among royals and she was aware that many peasants were distrustful towards the ones who had illegitimate children or were known from having their Mistresses. She used to be one of… that _kind_ of people and she could recall thousands of times when villagers were complaining about it. People wanted to have rulers who were able to keep their vows, so she decided that her son would be such a person. She taught him that faithfulness was a true virtue and that he should offer his body only for his wife. She told him that his wife – and people – would respect him more if his wife was the only person that ever slept with him.

Of course, she herself had a child out of wedlock and slept with more than one man, so one could say that she was a hypocrite to judge others but she made sure that nobody would know about her… shameful secret. When she was good enough at magic, she made sure that nobody – and by that she meant people who already knew about her pregnancy – would be able to reveal it. Even her son believed that he was her firstborn and only child.

“Mother?” Reginald asked her after a few moments of silence and once again raised his head to be able to look at her. When their eyes met, he smiled softly. “Thank you for being such a wonderful mother. I love you.”

“I love you, too, my dear Prince,” she responded and pressed a kiss on his forehead. “I love you with all my heart.”

And that was yet another lie because she couldn’t love him without her heard. After all – love is weakness. Cora wanted only power.

 

***

 

The wedding was magnificent. Everything went according to the plan – as a matter of fact the whole ceremony and party turned out to be even better than anyone expected – and everyone had a great time. The wedding took place only six months ago but it was already considered to be the wedding of the century. But what made Cora extremely proud was the fact that other royals were simply jealous of them. She couldn’t blame them because both her son and her daughter-in-law were members of two very wealthy families and they could afford a big celebration without hurting the peasants in the process.

As a matter of fact, the newly-married couple decided to visit the villages and share some food with the people. They both decided that it would be a good idea, especially since the cooks prepared a great amount of dishes, and Cora thought it was indeed a great move because it would show the peasants that they cared about them.

Once their visitation was over, the young couple went for their honeymoon. Cora assumed that it was quite successful and eventful because a few days after their return they found out that the young princess was pregnant.

Midas was overjoyed when the doctor confirmed pregnancy. He was over the moon that his throne would be even more secure with the new child on the way. Cora was happy as well, but for a very different reason. She was happy because it meant that not only would her son be a king but her grandchild, her blood, would have an even greater claim to the throne than Reginald. She wasn’t sure if she had even been prouder of her son than for this fact alone. He was able to provide an heir and that gave her another reason why she should get rid of Midas as soon as possible. If everything would go according to the plan, Midas would die soon, a heart attack would be the cause of his death, and her son wold have a crown on his head even before her grandchild was born.

Speaking of Reginald…

The young prince and soon-to-be-father, who was completely unaware of his mother’s dark nature, entered his bedchambers in King Midas’ castle as soon as he returned home from his meeting with King George. Originally, the young couple wanted to live in Reginald’s place of residence, however when they found out about the pregnancy, it was decided that they should move to Abigail’s kingdom. Cora, on the other hand, stayed in the manor because she claimed that she didn’t want to bother them with her presence. The truth was, however, much darker as she wanted to plan Midas’ death in peace.

Reginald smiled brightly when he noticed that his wife sat in one of the armchairs next to the fireplace and was reading something. Her left hand was making comfortable circles on her already visible stomach. She was oblivious of his presence.

“Hello, my dear,” he announced his presence and approached his wife. She smiled widely when she saw him and a moment later she was kissed in greeting. “I hope you had a good time during my absence.”

“It wasn’t bad. I even had a chance to read a few books,” Abigail told him softly and put the one that she was currently reading on a nearby table. She chucked moments later because Reginald knelt before her and put his hands on her stomach before he kissed it as well.

“Hello to you, too, Henry,” the Prince said cheerfully and laughed when he was felt a kick in the response. “I hope that you were a good boy to your Mommy.”

When they found out that they were going to have a son, they decided to name him Henry after Reginald’s late father and Daniel after Abigail’s cousin. Daniel was the only child of Abigail’s mother’s sister, and the two of them were quite close but then unfortunately the boy was killed when he was sent to the war.

“He was an angel,” said Abigail and took his hands in hers. “A perfect little gentleman, just like his father.”

“Good.” Reginald grinned in response and kissed her again. He was away for only four days but he already missed his family terribly. “Very good.”

“You know, dear, I have no idea what happened but suddenly I feel tired. Would you mind joining me in bed?”

The teenager raised his eyebrow and looked at his innocently smiling wife.

“That depends what do you mean by joining you in bed. Sleep or… joining you in bed.”

Abigail rolled her eyes at his cheeky comment and put her hand around his neck before she kissed him gently.

“I think we both know that I’m not one of those people who go to sleep in the middle of the day.”

The young Prince chuckled at that and took her in his arms before he carried her to their bed. Then he put her down gently and sat down next to her.

“No. You’re definitely not,” he agreed and kissed her again before he proceeded to unbuttoning her dress. “But neither I am.”

Reginald committed his full attention to his wife and because of that he failed to notice a pair of amber eyes that made an appearance in the mirror that was positioned in the corner on the right side of the bed. He devoted his attention to his wife and he stopped only when less than thirty minutes later they heard a loud banging on the door.

“The king is dead.” Was the first thing they heard when they called their guest in.

Happy flames appeared in the amber eyes as soon as the information was delivered. Everything was going according to the plan. Soon Cora would regret that she decided to intervene with what was written in the stars.

 

***

 

Reginald had a bad feeling that day. Not only he couldn’t sleep at night but he also felt observed. But nobody was there. Nobody but his wife. He sighed inwardly as he watched the priest putting a crown on Abigail’s head. He already wore his own. And it felt heavy. It felt… wrong.

His father-in-law’s death was sudden. Sudden and unexpected. He died because of heart attack, or so the doctors were saying. Abigail was devastated. He was, too, but he tried to be strong for her. Nonetheless, he felt helpless. He had no idea how to make her feel better.

He took her hand in his when the priest announced them the new ruling couple. The crowd was wishing them a long reign. He sighed inwardly and looked at his mother who stood among people. She smiled sadly when their eyes met. He suspected that she also didn’t expect the King to die so suddenly.

He turned his head and his heart stopped. A pair of amber eyes was staring just right at him. THE pair of amber eyes that was watching him in the gardens when he was with Ruby. The eyes that belonged to the Dark One.

The Dark One was the wizard that sold him his cousin’s red hood. His mother sent him to find the other wizard but Rumplestiltskin waited at him there. The other wizard was dead. The Dark One gave him the hood without any deal, he only asked if he had magic. He had, but it was supressed because of the neckless he wore. When he asked the wizard why he didn’t want any other payment, he informed him that he already helped him to master his plans. What plans, Reginald had no idea. But he knew that it had something to do with his presence at the coronation.

“Hello, dearie,” he heard the wizard’s voice as he unexpectedly appeared in front of him and before he knew what was going on, he felt a terrible epigastric pain.

He looked down and noticed that he had the Dark One’s dagger stuck in his stomach. What was happening around him, he had no clue. He only knew that his necklace that was supressing his magic – his mother gave it to him as she claimed that people would want to hurt him if they knew he had it – was taken from him and a moment later he was falling through some portal. Then everything went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and experiencing this adventure with me. The ending is open to interpretation. I have some plans for "what's next" but I don't want to make any promises as I have other ideas in mind (both new ones and the ones I already started). Once again - THANK YOU.


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